I have just recently had the pleasure of joing my dept's K-9 unit and I now have a 4yr old german shepard. The question i have is that he whines constantly while riding in the car, as soon as my car goes into drive he starts. Why does he do this? Is he just anxious to get out and work? I take him running before every shift so i know he is getting exercise and I also get him out numerous times during the shift to do simple article find problems and short tracks so he feels good.

He's leaking in his drive state because he' ready and rearin' to go. Instead of running maybe a good tug session would help? And if you feed kibble, have him search for it(toss it all over an area that is healthy/safe) instead of feeding him in a bowl...mental stimulation is good! I'd also do a routine before your shift, a massage to relax him if possible is always good, and you can feel his physical condition when you do a hands on relaxing protocol. Some dogs get tumors that go undetected because the handlers aren't petting or going over them. I've found a couple bumps on my long coat because I don't always give her a hands on inspection.
I'd try to find what works best for your dog so his performance when needed is exact and precise when he's called to duty.

I have just recently had the pleasure of joing my dept's K-9 unit and I now have a 4yr old german shepard. The question i have is that he whines constantly while riding in the car, as soon as my car goes into drive he starts. Why does he do this? Is he just anxious to get out and work? I take him running before every shift so i know he is getting exercise and I also get him out numerous times during the shift to do simple article find problems and short tracks so he feels good.

Is your dog narcotic detection or patrol or dual? He will get used to the routine. DO NOT DO SEARCHING FOR FOOD OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT THE DOG WAS TRAINED FOR. That being said. Our dogs are excited to go to work. They do eventually learn to settle down,and enjoy the ride until it is time to work

I have just recently had the pleasure of joing my dept's K-9 unit and I now have a 4yr old >>>>>german shepard. <<<<<

The question i have is that he whines constantly while riding in the car, as soon as my car goes into drive he starts. Why does he do this? Is he just anxious to get out and work? I take him running before every shift so i know he is getting exercise and I also get him out numerous times during the shift to do simple article find problems and short tracks so he feels good.

Ours used to do this. I noticed the more turns I made or if I stopped at a store, you would think I was torturing a baby in the back seat. If we get on the highway or a long straight road she would calm down.

She never really stopped doing this but we didn't have her in the car daily either.

why can't they search for things other than what they're trained to
search for?

They are not pets. They are working dogs. They dont "leak" anything LOLOL We choose high drive dogs. They love to work because of the way they are trained. When we take them out of the unit,it is to relieve themselves or work. They learn the routine and are just fine. Scent detector dogs are trained on certain odors. They do not need to get out of the unit and search for anything else

Our good family friend (works with my spouse) is patrol/tracking K9 officer. He's had his dog for a few years. The dog gets super excited when lights/sirens get turned on, and when the turn signal is on lol. He is pretty vocal most of the time. If anyone does a ride along with him he provides them ear plugs :-). I think the excitement and noise from it just kind of comes with the territory. Good luck and stay safe!!

__________________"An excess of size is an unserviceable feature for breeding, his powers of endurance, his speed and the smartness of his movements suffer in all circumstances. Giants are never nimble."-Creator of GSD

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